A Thousand Lives
by Votre Accueil
Summary: In a city of bones, Athrun is searching for his best friend, Kira, and Kira's sister, Cagalli, who disappeared when the end times came. AU Athrun-centric
1. Chapter 1

A Thousand Lives

Disclaimer: I don't own Seed or any of the characters in this story.

A/N: This opener is rather short and exposition-y, but I just wanted to get that out of the way before starting the story proper, so bear with me.

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When the end came, it came sooner than anyone could have predicted. Japan was the first country to be struck. In retrospect, given the crowded, isolated nature of the island, and the military projects that were unveiled several years later, the pre-emptive strike on Japan by the invaders made sense. But at the time, no one had any idea what was going on.

Tokyo burned. The missles that decimated the city were unseen. One moment there was a crowded metropolis full of life and the next Athrun was watching an emergency news report, watching charred metal and fused glass spread across his television. Kira and Cagalli lived just on the outskirts of Tokyo.

Athrun had known Kira and Cagalli since he was barely eight. The two siblings, twins, had lived across the street from him and attended their private elementary school, Lunar Academic. The closest of friends, the trio had done everything together until high school. Athrun had followed in his father's footsteps and enrolled in the military at the age of fifteen. Kira had gone on to a specialized engineering school, and Cagalli became head of the Atha family corporation: ORB, a company that designed military equipment and tactical vehicles.

He hadn't seen them in three years.

It didn't matter. He had to find them. He had to save them.

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By the time Athrun set out to leave, Europe was gone. The noiseless bombs had reached nearly every major city in the world—there was no way to know they were coming. One moment everything was fine, and the next—explosions. Death. Destruction.

The army was in shambles. Athrun had been assigned to an elite squad that, in peacetime, amounted to nothing more than higher pay and lots of time at the shooting range. And now he ran. He stopped by his apartment only to grab a bag of food and clothes. The heavy weight of his gun dug into his hip.

When he stepped through the door and flicked the switch, his light fizzled on and then darkness came in a shower of sparks. Athrun cursed and ran into his bedroom, throwing cargo pants and tshirts into a duffle. He didn't know it then, but that would be the last time in three months he'd see electricity. Running water would be gone by next week.

Cans of soup, energy bars, apples; everything went in the bag. Athrun zipped it up, locked the door behind him. He left quickly and quietly.

He would never return to Osaka again.


	2. Chapter 2

A Thousand Lives

Disclaimer: I don't own Seed or any of the characters in this story.

Summary: If you lived a thousand lives, I know you'd find me every time.

_In a city of bones, Athrun is searching for his best friend, Kira, and Kira's sister, Cagalli, who disappeared when the end times came. _

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Chapter 1

The city was quiet for a national emergency. Athrun supposed that people were inside, barricading their homes and protecting their families, or perhaps gone to search for loved ones who might have been lost in the disaster, but the empty streets still unsettled his soldier's mind. He felt watched.

He wheeled his motorcycle out of the apartment complex's garage and started it up, taking off down the road. Ignoring the insistent beeping of his army-issued cellphone, he focused only on the asphalt in front of him. He couldn't think, had to keep running on adrenaline, or the fear (what if this was hopeless, he'd be caught and arrested for deserting the army and then what, how could he help them? they were dead, they had died in the first explosion, they had died in the riots afterward, they were _gone_) would overwhelm him.

Athrun was expecting the blockade of the main road running out of Osaka towards Tokyo. There were only a few vehicles in the line and time passed quickly as he waited for the soldier manning the barricade to inspect the papers and cars of the people in front of him. When he finally rolled his motorcycle up to the makeshift booth at the side of the road, he flipped out his military ID.

"FAITH soldier, Athrun Zala," he said. "I'm on a classified mission to the Tokyo area. If you have new information about what has happened, or who was responsible for the attack, tell me now." The words rolled smoothly off his tongue—the best lies were always half truths—and the soldier snapped to attention, green coat flaring.

"Sir!" the soldier said, thumbing a code into a keypad that raised the makeshift metal rail up from the road, more than high enough for Athrun to get past. "Last known contact with Tokyo was when the explosions first occurred. The center of Tokyo, almost 5,000 km in total, has been completely destroyed. Survivors have been found on the outskirts, but never within 300 km of the edge of the crater where the bombs went off. The American cities of New York, Washington, Houston and San Francisco suffered a similar bombardment, and contact with Britain has established that Europe has been attacked as well."

Athrun felt a cold tremor go down his spine, but he kept his voice collected as he spoke again:

"What of the colonies? Luna-1 and Kuiper-2?"

The soldier cleared his throat. "I thought FAITH would....I'm not supposed to know this information sir, I don't..."

Athrun nodded. "It's an emergency. We all are listening more carefully than usual, aren't we? Trying to find news that might help us survive. Whatever you have to say, I'm classified to hear it, and I won't report you."

The soldier still looked hesitant, but started to speak again, his words jumbling together with fear.

"The moon base, Luna-1, has not made contact since a week before the Tokyo disaster. All attempts to contact the base on either military or civilian channels has been met with no reply. They said it would cause riots and panic if people knew, especially with what has happened, so it's been hushed up. But there are no signs that Luna-1 was attacked, from what we can see."

"And Kuiper-2?" Athrun prodded. "That was a privately funded civilian base. It has to keep in contact with the government at all times, or their space access license will be revoked, and everyone living there will have to return to Earth. It's just an experimental outfit."

If the soldier had seemed afraid before, now his face was a picture of terror.

"Sir," he swallowed. "Kuiper-2...Kuiper 2 is gone."

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End file.
